[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 165 (Thursday, August 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58494-58495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20402]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Fishery 
Products Subject to Trade Restrictions Pursuant to Certification Under 
the High Seas Driftnet Fishing (HSDF) Moratorium Protection Act

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before October 24, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Kristin Rusello, Office of International Affairs and 
Seafood Inspection, F/IS5, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 
20910, (301) 427-8376, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a revision per RIN 0648-AY15, 
approved as an emergency request.
    Pursuant to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection 
Act

[[Page 58495]]

(Moratorium Protection Act), if certain fish or fish products of a 
nation are subject to import prohibitions to facilitate enforcement, 
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requires that other fish 
or fish products from that nation that are not subject to the import 
prohibitions must be accompanied by documentation of admissibility. A 
duly authorized official/agent of the applicant's Government must 
certify that the fish in the shipments being imported into the United 
States (U.S.) are of a species that are not subject to an import 
restriction of the U.S. If a nation is identified under the Moratorium 
Protection Act and fails to receive a certification decision from the 
Secretary of Commerce, products from that nation that are not subject 
to the import prohibitions must be accompanied by the documentation of 
admissibility.
    The approved revision added two new requirements. Under the import 
certification requirements in the final rule, there was a procedure for 
making comparability findings for nations that are eligible for 
exporting fish and fish products to the United States. The nations may 
receive a comparability finding to export fish and fish products to the 
United States by providing documentation that a nation's bycatch 
reduction regulatory program is comparable in effectiveness to that of 
the United States. A comparability finding is valid for four years. In 
the interim, nations are required to submit progress reports 
demonstrating that their regulatory programs are still meeting the 
conditions for a comparability finding.
    This proposed revision makes minor modifications to the 
``certification of admissibility'' established in conjunction with the 
High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act final rule (RIN 
0648-BA89). This revision also changes the title of the collection and 
the Certification of Admissibility Form from ``Fishery Products Subject 
to Trade Restrictions Pursuant to Certification under the High Seas 
Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act'' to ``Fishery Products 
Subject to Trade Restrictions Pursuant to Certification under the High 
Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act''.
    This information collection is necessary to comply with the Marine 
Mammal Protection (MMPA) Act 16 U.S.C. 1371 and 1372 and the final rule 
RIN 0648-AY15 to implement these provisions within the regulations of 
50 CFR 216.24. The MMPA contains provisions to address the incidental 
mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in both domestic and 
foreign commercial fisheries. With respect to foreign fisheries, 
section 101(a)(2) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1371(a)(2)) states that ``The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall ban the importation of commercial fish 
or products from fish which have been caught with commercial fishing 
technology which results in the incidental kill or incidental serious 
injury of ocean mammals in excess of United States standards. For 
purposes of applying the preceding sentence, the Secretary [of 
Commerce] (A) shall insist on reasonable proof from the government of 
any nation from which fish or fish products will be exported to the 
United States of the effects on ocean mammals of the commercial fishing 
technology in use for such fish or fish products exported from such 
nation to the United States.''

II. Method of Collection

    Submissions will be accepted via email or fax.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0651.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of an emergency 
revision).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 90.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 150 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $10 in reporting/
recordkeeping costs.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: August 22, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-20402 Filed 8-24-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P